Monday, March 5, 2012

Gear Review: SBR Sports TriSwim Products

Believe it or not, there are some winter sports that are actually taking place in spite of this absurdly unseasonable Maine "winter." I put the word winter in quotation marks here, simply because the triathlete in me has been so happy, but the skier in me is unquestionable depressed.

At any rate, swimming is a Maine winter sport through and through. To wit, the pools are never busier than they are during the cold months out of the year. As such, it's phenomenal training whether your race season includes a triathlon or not. Swimming is low impact on the body but provides one of the highest cardiovascular efforts around. Also, it helps develop the same core strength that is so important when it comes to getting out and running. From a muscle memory standpoint, it can also have a great impact in recruiting the back end of the leg, where a lot of runners fall flat.

What are some of the problems of the pool? Well, there's the unfortunate circumstance of the person in your lane deciding to split a lane when there's a need to circle-swim (bonking heads is not the most fun when you're underwater). Or, the person who decides that the rules regarding showering before entering the pool do not apply to them. (Ah, the fresh taste of perfume or cologne in the morning!)

But the biggest complaint: chlorine. Chlorine, of course, is the main chemical used in commercial and residential pools to help kill off any bacteria that has gotten into the water. It's a good thing for the pool and for your health.

However, the main drawback of chlorine is the effect that is has on your skin and hair. It's well-known for drying hair and skin out, and leaving an almost dry residue. It also has well-defined stench to it that, if not effectively washed off, tends to remain with you for a few days. From experience, there's nothing quite like taking a run just after a pool session and choking on the chlorine just as you were hitting your stride.

Luckily, there's a line of products that can help out from SBR Sports.

From L-R: TriSwim Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, and Lotion
How's It Work?
This review is a little bit different than normal, as it's not a true running product, so this'll encompass both the "how's it made" and the review of the product itself.

All of the products feature a detoxifying agent that encompass the chlorine itself, and flush it out of your hair and skin. The shampoo, body wash, and skin lotion then implement a mixture of vitamins and aloe vera to help re-hydrate your skin and hair. The conditioner, meanwhile, uses soybean, wheat proteins, and keratin amino acids to bring your hair back. All of them feature a citrus-based scent, rather than them being too masculine or feminine in range.

So how's it work? Like a charm. Hopping out of the pool and into the shower, this stuff simply works. None of that "straw" feeling to your hair. Skin dried out? Nope, not anymore. Typically, after a pool session, I can smell the chlorine on myself for a couple of hours afterwards, even after a long shower. This stuff takes care of it in minutes. It's another one of those examples of a product range that, when you think of it, doesn't seem like it would work (i.e., "eh, chlorine smell. Whatever. Nothing would take care of that...") But instead, it works in spades. Why hasn't somebody thought of this before?

Also, for those concerned: SBR Sports does not animal-test their products, and they are all paraben free. A percentage of their sales goes to John Wayne Cancer Foundation and to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Overall, it's a line of products that if you're swimming this season, you need to be checking out.

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